Commercial EPC
Get EPC certificates for flat or house for just £45 All information here have been extracted from www.communities.gov.uk Domestic EPC certificate sample http://www.futurebyenergy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/domestic-epc-sample.pdf Table of Contents #What is an EPC certificate ? #Who need an EPC certificate ? #What is the penalty of not having an EPC certificate? #What else is in EPC certificate report? #What things are checked during the EPC certificate inspection? #How is EPC certificate calculated ? What is an EPC certificate ? The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives home owners, tenants and buyers information on the energy efficiency of their property. It gives the building a standard energy and carbon emission efficiency grade from A to G, where A is the most efficient. The average efficiency grade to date is D. A Domestic EPC certificate is a vital component in the Home Information Pack (HIP). In simple terms, an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a record of the actual and potential energy saving aspects of a particular property. The property is assessed using the UK’s Standard Assessment Procedure. It’s performance is rated in terms of energy use per sq metre of floor area. Energy efficiency is based on fuel costs and environmental impact based on carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. The resulting Energy Performance Certificate issued to you will provide you with clear information on the energy performance of the property and cost effective means for improvement. The results of the visit are recommendations for your consideration or for the future owner or tenant to consider. EPC certificate are a record of the energy saving / loss aspects of your property, and potential improvements and savings you can make. Energy performance is measured in terms of energy use per sq meter of floor area. Energy efficiency is based on fuel costs and environmental impact based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions =Back to Top = Who need an EPC certificate? An EPC certificate is required from April 2008 by law when a building is constructed, sold or put up for rent. An EPC certificate for letting purposes is valid for 10 years. Sellers or buyers of homes, All sellers of homes need to ensure that they provide a Home Information Pack which includes an EPC certificate for potential buyers. An EPC certificate must be made available to a potential homebuyer free of charge. An EPC certificate needs to be provided to buyers of newly built properties. Landlords If you are a landlord, you will need to make an EPC certificate available to prospective tenants the first time you let a home after 1 October 2008. An EPC certificate is only required for a property which is self-contained, and is valid for 10 years. An EPC certificate isn?t required when a tenant rents a room and shares facilities. Tenants If you are interested in renting a property then an EPC certificate must be made available to you free of charge. EPC certificate is not required when you rent a room and share facilities. If you do not fall into the above categories, you will still get benefits by having EPC certificate. This may be because you want to know what the energy efficiency of your home is, and make improvements suggested by the recommendation report. =Back to Top = What is the penalty of not having an EPC certificate? Under domestic EPC certificate legislation non-compliance will result in a fine from £200 for domestic. =Back to Top = What else does the certificate tell you? The ratings are measured using the same calculations for all homes, so you can compare the energy efficiency of different properties. Part of the EPC certificate is a report, which lists the potential rating that your home could achieve, if you make the recommended changes. The report contains: *Suggested improvements (such as changing the type of your electric meter), and the approximate cost of these. *Possible cost savings per year if the improvements are made and how this would change the energy and carbon emission rating of the property You can use this information to: *Cut your fuel bills *Improve energy performance in your home and help cut carbon emissions Help you choose a more energy efficient home to rent or buy. *You do not have to act on the recommendations contained in the recommendation report. However, if you decide to do so, then it could make your property more attractive for sale or rent by making it more energy efficient. =Back to Top = What things are checked during the EPC certificate inspection? A site visit will be arranged to suit the client then one of our Energy Assessors will travel to your London property. The inspection should take between 25 minutes and 1 hour and will cause the minimum of inconvenience. The only significant factor to be aware of is that our Assessor will need access to the loft space, your boiler and electric meter. An internal and external inspection of the property is carried out for the purpose of the EPC certificate. *Note the construction of your walls. *Measure the roof insulation. *Confirm how many windows are double glazed. *Count the number of open fireplaces. *Check the make and model of boiler under EU SEDBUK regulations. *Look for green devices such as solar panels. *Calculate the number of low energy light bulbs. *Confirm the type of heating system used e.g. radiators, underfloor heating, electric etc. *Categories the type of material used to insulate hot water cylinder. *Measure heat loss through roof. *Check for excessive window area in larger houses. *Take precise measurements of conservatories and extensions. =Back to Top = How is EPC certificate calculated? During the visit our assessor will need to conduct a brief but thorough survey of your property to record the details the software uses to calculate the energy rating. *The age and floor area of the property *The length and thickness of the external heat loss walls *Cavity wall insulation and type *Roof space insulation and depth *Make, model and age of central heating boiler and flue *Hot water system, hot water cylinder and insulation. *Method of heat transfer (Radiator, underfloor heating) *Number of Thermostatic Radiator valves (TRV’s) and /or fireplaces. *Form of any other secondary heating. *Type and age of windows and double glazing. *Number of low energy light fittings *Details of mechanical ventilation and air conditioning system. =Back to Top = Energy Advice Keep it simple and effective. Insulating your home and purchasing Energy Star certified (high efficiency) appliances, is usually the smartest, most economical. Minimizing the energy we need is still the first step to take before selecting the cleanest, greenest supplies. Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants. Its not just about us its for future and everybody around us. There is always low energy alternative for all kind of appliance and light fixture. That means that consumers have a power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale. By exercising even a few of the recommended methods, you can cut your annual emissions by hundred of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount. Home improvements consider some of these energy-saving investments. They save money in the long run, and their CO2 savings can often be measured in tons per year. #Insulate your loft – Many councils offer grants to households for putted insulation in the loft. Simply call you council and ask them (Minimum 300mm) #Double glazing. Replacing all your ordinary windows with inert gas filled, double-glazed windows. #Plant shade trees and paint your house a light colour if you live in a warm climate or a dark colour if you live in a cold climate. Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually. #Use Infra red coated low voltage light bulbs and reduce you energy consumption by up to 60%. Use CFL Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. #Use thermostatic valve on your radiators, they normally only cost around £10-15 but enable you to control the temperature in each room independently. #If you use electricity a lot you will save a lot by changing type of your electric meter from single rate to double rate. * There will be a list of recommendations at the end of your report which is specially based on the conditions of your property.